2 Measures of Central Tendency 2.1. COMPARISON OF FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS When two or more different series of the same type are compared, tabulation of observations is not sufficient. It is often desirable to define quantitatively the characteristics of frequency distribution. There are two fundamental characteristics in which similar frequency distributions may differ : (i) They may differ in measures of central tendency ie., in the value of the variate x round which they centre. The figure shows two frequency distributions which differ in central value. Measures of this kind are generally known as Averages. hh (ii) They may differ in the extent to which observations are scattered about the central value. Measures of this kind are called measures of dispersion and will be discussed in the next chapter. 2.2, MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY (OR AVERAGES) Tabulation and graphical representation have considerably advanced our knowledge of the real significance of statistical data, but they have by no means completed it. Tabulation arranges facts in a logical order and helps their understanding and comparison. But often, the groups tabulated are still too lange for their characteristics to be readily grasped. What is desired is a numerical expression which summarises the characteristic of the group. Measures of central tendency (also popularly called Averages) serve this purpose. A figure which is used to represent a whole series should neither have the lowest value nor the highest in the series, but a value somewhere between 2MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY 2B these two limits, possibly in the centre, where most of the items of the series cluster. Such figures are called Measures of Central Tendency (or Averages). According to Professor Bowley, ‘Averages are Statistical Constants which enable us to comprehend in a single effort the significance of the whole.” There are five types of averages in common use : 1. Arithmetic Average orMean 2. Median 3. Mode 4, Geometric Mean 5. Harmonic Mean We shall take them one by one. 1, ARITHEMTIC MEAN In the case of Individual Observations (ie, where frequency is not given). (i) Direct Method. Ifx:x;,1, + x, then A.M. Fis given by att. n (i Short cut Method (Shift of origin). Shifting the origin to an arbitrary point a, the formula Xn oly, in geley becomes ¥-a=+3(r—a) a n or Fart a, where dj=x-a Thus x¥=a+—Sd, n where a= an arbitrary number, called Assumed Mean Bid, = Ube ~ a) = (ry = a) + (X= 0) + a + (Kya) um of the deviations of the variate x from a umber of observations. In the case of Discrete Series. (8 Direct Method. If the frequency distribution is, XE My pyar ty Lo fay Baymoy fy Nem pe Peit fata t mm + Int _ Sf fith+ where N=fit ftom th=3h (ii) Short cut Method. (Shift of origin). Shifting the origin to an arbitrary point ‘a’, the formula <1 Fy Eh th N24 GOLDEN STATISTICS or Feat hE fle where dj=x-a = 1 Ts Fea+h 30d, where a= any assumed number Bd, = Ex - a) = fil ~ a) + filer ~ a) + on + fie @) = sum of the products of f and the deviation of the corresponding variate x from a Nefith tin the 3h Note, Ifthe frequencies are given in terms of class intervals, the mid-values of class intervals are considered as x and then the above formulae are applied. (iii) In the case of Continuous Series having equal class intervals, say of width h, we use a different formula (Shift of origin and change of stale ; ‘Step Deviation Method). Lt ou =" then = x=athu Bf = Sa + hu) = a Sf + hE fi Dividing both sides by N = Sf, we get 2 Bh N N or Feasht where 245%, Weighted Arithmetic Mean. If the variate-values are not of equal importance, we may attach to them ‘weights? ¥,, Way. Wy a8 measures of their importance. ‘The weighted mean , is defined as ees WitWyton Wy EW (ie, write w for). Example 1. Marks obtained by 9 students in statistics are given below 52, 75, 40, 70, 43, 40, 63, 35, 48. Calculate their arithmetic mean. Sol. Direct Method a Bt S2+75+40 +70 + 43-4404 65 +35 448 n 9 468 9 ‘52 marks.MEASURES OF CENTRAL ‘TENDENCY 25 Short-cut Method Feat 7 Let assumed mean a = 50 (some no. round the middle) Variate Deviation from assumed (x) 52 5 40 70 43 40 65 35 48 = 2d, Feast 250+ 25042252mans, (Note, The answer must be the same by both the methods.) Example 2. The following table gives the marks obtained by the students in an examination. Calculate the arithmetic mean by direct and short-cut methods : 65, 85, 99, 100, 120, 122, 125, 132, 133, 140, 140, 146. Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans, 117.25 marks} Example 3, Calculate the arithmetic mean of the distribution : Variate x: 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Frequencyf: 20 43 75 67 72 45 39 9 8 6 Sol. Direct Method Variate Frequency Product @) (f) & 5 20 100 10 4B 430 15 15 1125 2» 1 1340 25 n 1800 30 45 135026 GOLDEN STATISTICS 35 1365 40 360 45 360) 30 300 Bfe = 8530 Short-cut Method Let the assumed mean = 30. Variate Frequency Dev. from ass. mean @) o dy=x-30 Sy 3 2 -25 - 500 10 43 -20 ~ 860 15 15 -15 1125 20 67 -10 - 670 25 n -5 360 30 45 0 0 35 39 5 195 40 9 10 90 45 8 15 120 50 6 20 120 Na3f2384 Bd, =~ 3515 + 525 2990 < Sd 2990 Fea +P = 30-Sar = 30-78 = 22.2. Example 4. The following two rows give the variable and the cor- responding frequency. Find the arithmetic mean by direct and short-cut methods, Variable x: 1 2 3 4 5 Frequenyf: 3 5 9 6 2 Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 2.96] Example 5. Compute the mean of the following by both direct and short-cut methods: Height incms ; 219 216 213 210 207 204 201 198 195 No.ofpersoss: 2 4 6 10 Il 7 5 4 2 Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 207.54 em]MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY 2 Example 6. Find she arithmetic mean for the following data : Marks No.of students 010 5 10-20 10 20-30 40 30—40 20 40-50 25 Sol. First Method 2h Marks Mid-values No. of students @® o fe 0-10 3 10—20 15 20—30 25 30—40 35 40—S0 45 y= 38 30-30 mats. 100 Second Method = Yd, x=at Y Let assumed mean = 25. Mid. values of class No. of students Dev. from ass. mean intervals (x) 0 dpex-a fide 5 5 a) ~ 100 15 10 -10 ~ 100 25 40 0 0 35 20 10 200 45 5 20 500 =25 +5 = 30 marks.28 GOLDEN STATISTICS ‘Third Method Feaen ht where Let assumed mean a = 25 Here f= Width of equal class intervals = 10. Mid-values ofclass No. of students fi intervals (x) o 5 5 -2 10 15 10 -1 -10 25 40 0 0 35 20 1 20 45 25 2 50 00 fu = 50 = Shu 50. Faath"=25 + 10x 755 =25 +5 =30 marks. Example 7. Calculate the arithmetic mean of the marks from the {following table : Marks : 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 No. of students; 12 18 27 20 I7 6 Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 28 marks]2. MEDIAN 1. Median is the central value of the variable when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order of magnitude. When the observations are-arranged in the order of their size, the median is the value of that item which has equal number of observations on either side. Median divides the distribution into two equal parts. Median is, thus, a potential average. [For the computation of median, it is necessary that the items be arranged in ascending or descending order. 2. For an ungrouped frequency distribution, if the n values of the variate are arranged in ascending or descending order of magnitude. (a) When n is odd, the middle value i.e, £ (n + 1)th value gives the median, (©) When n is even, there are two middle values $ nth and Gn + 1th. The arithmetic mean of these two values gives the median, 3. For discrete frequency distribution, median is obtained by con- sidering cumulative frequencies. Find xy 1 where N= fj, See the ‘cumulative frequency just greater than Mt The corresponding value of xis the median. 4. For a grouped frequency distribution, the median is given by the formula, h/(N Median =1+7 (3 - ) where, /'= lower limit of median class, where median class is the class corresponding to cumulative frequency just greater than Je the width of median class f= the frequency of the median class. N= 3f C= cumulative frequency of the class preceding the median class. Example 2. Find the median of the following = 20, 18, 22, 27, 25, 12, 15.Sol. Arranging the data in ascending order 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27. Number of items n = 7 (odd) Median = size of ttt th, ke, 4th item = 20, Example 3. Fificen students took a test. The marks obtained by 10 student, who have cleared the test, are given belo 7, 8, 10, 9, 18, 15, 12, 11, 14, 17. Find out the median marks. Sol. The five students who did not clear the test get marks less than 7. Arranging the marks in ascending order (uaad3) 678 9 10 1 12 13 14 15 Less than 7 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 Number of students = 15 (odd) Median marks = marks of 5+ th, ie, 8th student = 9. Example 4, Find ow the median from the following data : 2, 30, 12, 25, 20,8, 10, 4, 15. Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 12} Example 5. According to the census of 1981, following are the ‘population figures, in thousand, of 10 cities: 2000, 1180, 1785, 1500, 560, 782, 1200, 385, 1123, 222. Find the median. Sol. Arranging the data in ascending order 222, 385, 560, 782, 1123, 1180, 1200, 1500, 1785, 2000, Number of items = 10 (even) Media 2 2 = AM. of Sth and 6th items 1123 + 1180 .M. of size of th and (5 +1 } th items = 1151.5 thousands. Example 6. Determine the median from the following data : 30, 12, 25, 38, 2, 10, 4, 8, 15, 20. Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 13.5]Example 9. Obtain the median for the following frequency distribu- xd 23 4 5 6 7 8 9 f 8 10 I 16 20 83 I 9 6 Sol. The cumulative frequency distribution table is given below : x j cf 1 8 8 2 10 18 3 i 29 4 16 45 5 20 65 6 25 90 7 15 105 8 14 9 6 120 Hee = N=10 an = 605 Cumulative frequency just gpeaterthan St is 65 and the value of x corresponding to cf. 65 is. Hence median i 5: Example 10. Find the median from the following table : x 5 7 9 HN BW 7 19 f: 1 2 7 9 1 8 S$ 4 Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. 13] Example 11. Find the median from the following table : Marks No. of students Marks No. of students 0-0 2 4-50 35 10-20 18 50-60 20 20-30 30 60-70 6 30-40 45 70-80 3Sol. Let us calculate cumulative frequencies. Marks No.of ef Marks Noof of students students 10 2 2 40-50 35 130 10-20 18 20 50-60 20 150 20-30 30 50 60-70 6 156 30—40 45 95 70-80 3 159 Here N=159 ‘Median class is the class corresponding to cf. just greater than N 27 795. Hence 30—40 is the median class 1= lower limit of median class = 30 ‘j= width of median class = 40 - 30 = 10 {= frequency of median class = 45 Czcyf. of the class preceding the median class = 50 . h(N Malin 1+5 (5 -¢| =30 2 (79.5 - 50) = 30 + 6.56 = 36.56. Example 12. Find the median for the following distribution : Wages inks. : 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 No. of workers: 2 8 46 35 0 Sol. Please try yourself. [Ans. Rs. 24.46]